iWorld
Disney to launch international d2c OTT offering under Star brand in 2021
KOLKATA: The Walt Disney Company (Disney) is going more aggressive on streaming. It will launch an international direct-to-consumer general entertainment OTT offering under the Star brand in India in the year 2021.
The offering will be rooted in the content from the production engines and libraries of ABC Studios, Fox Television, FX, Freeform, 20th Century Studios and Searchlight. While in many markets the offering will be fully integrated into Disney+ platform from both a marketing and a technology perspective, it will be distributed under the Star brand in India.
“In terms of the general entertainment offering internationally, we want to mirror successful Disney+ strategy by using our Disney+ technical platform, rooting it in content that we already own and distributing it under a successful international brand that we also already own which is, of course, Star and then bringing it to market in a very close association to Disney,” The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek said in the earnings call after Q3 results.
“In terms of the premier access idea, as you probably know, Disney tentpole blockbuster theatrical films can be fairly expensive to make and produce in order to get the quality that consumers expect from us and frankly to get the quality that we expect from us. Rather than simply rolling it into a free offering, we thought we would give again because we can test almost anything when you have your own platform. We thought we would give it a try to establish a new window – a premier access window to try to recapture some of that investment that we've got. All I'll say about our research is that it shows that such an offering under a premier access offering not only gets us revenue from the original transaction from the PVOD but also acts as a fairly large stimulus to sign up for Disney+,” he added.
iWorld
Samay Raina returns with Still Alive, confronts 2025 controversy in bold comeback special
Comeback set tackles controversy, blending humour with raw storytelling
MUMBAI: Samay Raina is set to release his new stand-up comedy special, Still Alive, on YouTube on April 7, 2026, marking a high-profile return following a turbulent year.
The trailer for the special dropped on April 5, offering a glimpse into what Raina describes as a raw and unfiltered set that leans as much on honesty as it does on humour.
Positioned as a comeback of sorts, Still Alive draws heavily from the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent in early 2025. The episode led to legal trouble, multiple FIRs, and a lengthy six-hour interrogation by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, placing the comedian at the centre of intense public scrutiny.
Rather than sidestep the episode, Raina leans into it. The special reflects on the fallout and his personal journey through it, blending observational comedy with moments of emotional candour. Early audience feedback from live performances suggests the tone is less about rapid-fire punchlines and more about storytelling with bite.
The special was filmed during his global Still Alive & Unfiltered tour, which ran from August 2025 to early 2026. The tour saw Raina perform across major international venues, including the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York, a milestone that places him among the youngest Indian comedians to take that stage.
The title itself signals resilience. “Still Alive” is a nod to navigating both legal and public backlash while choosing to remain unapologetically authentic, a theme that appears to anchor the set.
With the special set to premiere online, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to a performance that promises equal parts reflection and wit. For Raina, the message is clear. He is not just back, he is ready to be heard on his own terms.
